LINK Experience: Downtown Circulator Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

This paper describes how the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) operated an experimental downtown circulator bus route in Ann Arbor, MI, for 20 months. During this period, the AATA studied and improved the route in order to determine if Ann Arbor could support such a service. City officials, business owners, and residents were all attracted to the many perceived benefits a downtown circulator bus offers. Despite growing interest in downtown circulators from communities across the country, little research or public documentation of these routes currently exists. This paper details the AATA’s efforts in planning and operating the route, from an inclusive planning process, to an innovative marketing campaign, to the survey research used to bring service better in line with riders’ transportation needs. In August 2003, the AATA introduced the 3.2-mile (5.2-kilometer) LINK route, which connected downtown districts and the University of Michigan campus. For the first year of operation ridership remained low, peaking at 282 riders per weekday and 9 passengers per service hour. During this time the AATA conducted two onboard rider surveys to determine if the route met riders’ needs. The results of these surveys inspired several service changes introduced in June and August 2004, which lead to a near doubling in ridership. By March 2005, ridership had hit 821 average weekday riders and 23 passengers per service hour. The success of the service will enable the LINK to continue a modified route with funding shared between the AATA, the University of Michigan, and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • White, G Christopher
  • Malloy, Ryan
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2006-1-22 to 2006-1-26
• Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus routes; Bus transportation; Central business districts; Marketing; Passenger transportation; Public transit; Ridership
• Identifier Terms: Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Circulator shuttle; Transit onboard surveys
• Geographic Terms: Ann Arbor (Michigan)
• Subject Areas: Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01024802
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 06-0705
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 31 2006 7:54AM